I have a 'badmaash' streak in me: Shahid Kapoor (Interview)By Dibyojyoti Baksi

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) He played a bad guy in dark thriller "Kaminey" and will now be seen as a conman in "Badmaash Company". Shahid Kapoor says playing characters with a negative streak is an "escape route" from his good-boy image in real life.

"I think I always wanted to be a good boy, but I think inherently I have a 'badmaash' (naughty) streak in me. That's why I love doing this role. This is my escape route. What I couldn't do in my childhood, (I'm) doing it in films," Shahid told IANS in an interview.

The actor is thrilled to get such a role but adds that he doesn't play a 'kamina' (rogue) in director Parmeet Sethi's " Badmaash Company".

"I won't really call this guy a bad guy. 'Badmaash' is a little less of a bad guy than a 'kamina'. In 'Kaminey', from the very beginning Charlie is edgy and different, but here when the film begins you will find that the four characters are normal middle-class guys and then they get into doing these scams and schemes," the actor explained.

"In 'Kaminey' Charlie never used to think...he was spontaneous, but here the guy is lot more of a thinker, planner and schemer. I think it's fun playing a bad guy," he added.

"These guys want to do things on their own terms. That's what today's youth are all about? They want to set their own rules, make things in their own way. They find their own route to success. That's why the tag line says 'they want to do all the wrong things in the right way'," said Shahid.

Set in the 1990s, Sethi's directorial debut "Badmaash Company" will see four young friends - Shahid, Anushka Sharma, Vir Das and Miang Chang from middle-class Mumbai joining hands to start a company. Their business is an instant success because they find a way to beat the system.

The actor says every con job shown in the movie is taken from crime stories published in the newspapers.

"When I spoke to him (director Sethi), he told me all con jobs have been picked up from newspapers. So these things happened and he has taken the basic thought of every con job from real incidents and that's why it will seem believable. It is the strength of the film," the 29-year-old said.

"And he has based it in the 1990s and the period is apt for this kind of plot."

"It's a genre that really excites me. These types of film are made less in India. I think films like 'Bunty Aur Babli' were not really con films...it was more of a fun movie. This one is more believable. The con jobs that have been shown in the film I haven't seen in any Hindi or English film. It's more original," he said.

Shahid debuted in Bollywod with "Ishq Vishk" in 2003. After that he featured in films like "Fida", "Dil Maange More", "36 China Town" and "Vivah", but he got his major break with 2007 hit "Jab We Met". It was followed by "Kaminey", which won him critical and commercial acclaim.

Shahid says he's been lucky to get challenging roles after Imtiaz Ali's "Jab We Met".

"I am happy. This is something that I hadn't done for the first three-four years of my career. Of late...it's exciting to get the opportunity to do roles like this."

"Sometimes you get roles that break the ice. For me, 'Kaminey' and 'Jab We Met' were of those kind. It showed me new light. This film is also like that but apart from just the role, I think it's the space of the film...a con job film based in the 1990s, a very youth-oriented film and I am working with three new people.

"When I read the script, I found it very, very fresh. I have been really lucky in the last three years to get one significant film every year," he said.

Shahid Kapoor talks about his upcoming films and more with Subhash K Jha.

Badmaash Company is giving you a real badmaash actor's reputation, interfering, bullying, non-co-operating?Nahin yaar. Why don't you ask the director Parmeet Sethi if there's any truth to all this? We don't argue about ganjis and tee-shirts. We focus on my acting, not on accessories. Of course I do contribute to my films. Even the simplest of moves are turned into disputes. But the limit was when it was reported that me and Vishal Bhardwaj came to blows over Kaminey. Can you imagine me coming to blows with anyone?

Badmaash Company is the first film where you're doing so many disguises?This is the first time I've so much makeup. In about twenty minutes of the film I change into various disguises. We didn't know what I should look like. So we tried all kinds of stuff. My favourite disguise is that of a balding guy. No one could recognize me, not even my co-stars Anushka Sharma, Meiyang Chang and Vir Das.

My favourite disguise is that of a balding guy

You've never done an ensemble film before?Yes it's not like I am the Badmaash and they are the company. All four of us are equally important in the plot. I think one matures with every film. When I read the script of Badmaash Company I thought it'd take me into a new space as an actor. I had never done a con caper or an ensemble piece. I think all of us make a great team.

How has it been shooting for Anushka Sharma in Badmaash Company?We were all very young in the cast and we did a lot of outdoor shooting together. I think it's very important to get along with the people I work with. Anushka, Vir Das, Meiyang Chang and me got along really well. I got myself a Harley Davidson in the US and rode all over the place all on my own.

Not too many know about your penchant for mobikes? Yes I love biking on my own. I often take off in Mumbai on my bike during the night. Sure I get recognized on the streets. But no one really bothers me. And really you can't stop doing what you have to out of the fear of being recognized. Riding my mo'bike relaxes me. I like going out riding on my own anonymously. It helps me unwind. I think every actor likes to be alone. In any case I am not a group person. I don't move around with 25 hangers-on. I have 3-4 close friends. They are the ones I spend my time with besides my family.

You seemed to be having a lot of fun playing the teacher in Paathshaala? That's partly acting (laughs). But I love kids. It was quite a task for the director Milind Ukey and producer Ahmed Khan to handle that large bunch of kids. But the children were so spontaneous. I had fun learning from them. I actually unlearnt a lot of notions about acting watching them. They took me back to the basics of acting.

Were you disappointed when Paathshaala didn't do well? Not really yaar. It was a very small film. I worked in it for just seven days. It was never meant to be pitched as a Shahid Kapoor starrer. By the time the film came out I decided to go out and promote it a little. Though my friend the film's producer Ahmed Khan felt my role should not be publicized, we all finally felt, why not go out and promote a film we all believed in? It has finally recovered its cost. That's what counts. It was never meant to be a blockbuster. I'm glad Ahmed and his wife started off their production company on a positive note.

I got myself a Harley Davidson in the US and rode all over the place all on my own

Are you enjoying this phase of being without any film on hand except your father'sMausam? I've phases when I'm happy I've time to do other things besides movies. Then I go through phases of being depressed that I'm not doing enough work. I've come to realize that I really love doing movies, and that's all I want to do. I'll be shooting Mausam till the end of December. But I'm already looking at scripts for next year. I've realized I don't like sitting at home and look forward to doing more work.

You've two releases coming up.Yes Badmaash Company Then there is Milenge Milenge. My days are pretty packed with dubbing, promotion and other activities. I've just shot for ad for PETA and a music video for Badmaash Company. I've been keeping myself awake on black coffee, my only vice. I'm finishing a lot of stuff, meeting a lot of people.

How is it getting ready for Mausam? I'm getting into my dad's film. I'll of course accept another film if something truly exceptional comes along. Otherwise nothing until dad's film finishes. As an actor I'd consider myself lucky if I get one good script a year. Hit films don't necessarily mean good films. I think it's very important for me to work with good scripts and good directors.

So far how has your preparation for you dad's film Mausam been?We did a few workshops. I spent 4-5 days discussing acting with Dad. At the moment I'm the spotboy-cum-assistant-cum-odd job boy. At the same time I've also started a little bit of work with my Dad on the script. There's so much to do. Yeh to ghar ki picture hai. I'm responsible for everything. I'm really enjoying this process. In the one year that I'll be on Mausam, I'll get to learn a lot from Dad.

In the one year that I'll be on Mausam, I'll get to learn a lot from Dad

And your leading lady is Sonam?I am not supposed to talk about it. The producers will make a formal announcement.

What's your biggest challenge in this film?It is a love story. And I'll be playing a complete romantic hero. The challenge would be to do something different in a way Dad would want me to do it, and still be the conventional romantic hero.